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Hospice Outreach Service

Supporting you in your home

Our Hospice Outreach Service works closely with your GP, District Nurses and other healthcare professionals to support you and your family and help co-ordinate palliative care at home. Your GP will continue to hold primary responsibility for your care while you are at home.

Our team is made up of a range of professionals (Clinical Nurse Specialists / Clinical Paramedic Specialists, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Staff Nurses / Hospice Paramedics, Specialty Doctors, Assistant Practitioners, a Benefits Support Co-ordinator and a Specialist Social Worker) and some of our staff specialise in specific conditions. We are also supported by a team of Care Records Administrators, who will often be your first point of contact when you speak to our team and will take your details and ensure you are appropriately directed to the service that you need.

Oriana and mum Elspeth looking at postcards

What is the Hospice Outreach Service?

Hospice Outreach Service is the team that provide our specialist palliative care for patients and those important to them, in their own homes. We take referrals from both professionals and friends / family of those patients who are thought to be in the last year of their lives, to support their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. We do this alongside our colleagues who work in our Living Well, Counselling and Chaplaincy teams. We see patients in both home and clinic settings, as well as offering telephone support and advice.

Nurse speaking with patient at Cottage Hospice

We can offer support with the following:

  • Advice around symptom management and control, both pharmacological (medicines based) and non-pharmacological (lifestyle advice and factors).
  • Advanced Care Planning support – this involves using documents such as a ReSPECT form to plan your future care in line with your current wishes and preferences. This will include discussion around what is most important to you personally, as well as planning for your end of life care and discussions around resuscitation, investigations and hospitalisation or its prevention.
  • Offering listening support by our Specialist Social Worker to help you and those dear to you come to terms with your illness or situation.
  • Assessment for suitability for Continuing Healthcare Funding and support with application for this if you are eligible, alongside other healthcare professionals.
Male patient with a nurse

This also includes:

  • Providing information around financial support available to those living with terminal illnesses.
  • We are able to apply for Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Blue Badges for Kent & East Sussex as well as Macmillan Grants. We can also signpost to the most appropriate organisation if other benefits are required.
  • Signposting to other community services that you may need during this time, such as District Nursing teams, Home Treatment Services, Crossroads, Age UK and others.
  • Liaising with your GP regarding palliative medications.
  • Referring on to other services here at the Hospice for your holistic support.

Our team are available on the phone between 8am and 6pm in our office on 01892 820515. Of course, you can call the Hospice at any time and the ward team will support you outside of these hours.